Sound Map

The original image below the marked areas, courtesy of the Concord Public Library, is of Thoreau’s engraving of his survey map of Walden Pond. You can explore the soundscape at Walden Pond through this sound map. Just click on the image above to access the map and scroll down the left column to hear the sounds of birds and the trains passing at different points around the pond. Take a moment to listen to how long it takes for birds to resume singing after the train passes.

Clearly in the video above, the train is very loud up close! You’ll notice I jumped while filming when the conductor blew the horn behind me. I was approximately 10-12 feet from the train. Higher quality footage and sound recordings coming soon!

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Further Reading

Made by Christina Katopodis

Acknowledgements

This project would not have been possible without the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society's 2016 Research Grant, the New Media Lab, and the GC Digital Initiatives Provost's Digital Innovation Grant (2016-2017) from the Graduate Center, CUNY. I am ever grateful for this funding and for the support of my adviser, Dr. Joan Richardson.